HAPPY NEW YEAR

Lingo Bingo

Read in between the lines. Get a magnifier and try to read something in between those narrow lines. Read below the line, read above the line, and ultimately read under the line. What ever may be jugglery there is something to read which is not written. Unsung heroes, unsaid thoughts, unwritten stories, all can be undone if one wishes to unwrap the unholy "un"". But how to see a thing which is not there? Or apprehend one hidden beneath? It is one simple indication that world is not straight, either in terms of expressionist or receiver. Expressions can be dressed up with harmless embellishments to escape a potential danger.

Many of the legal decisions are drawn from perplexing legal lexicons. More and more decisions appear to be in perfect syn with your ability to contrive the terminology, than with the facts. A High court can not acquit and as well punish a person simultaneously if the decisions were to be given on facts. For instance provisions look silly to me like multiple murders can not make one more sinner than one murder. One cannot be trailed twice for the same offence. If the justice so fragile how safe it is to the human being? It is high time that we give a thought about the usable language in the legal corridors.

Regular "I want to spread peace and love in the world" by Miss world can be read (pay me millions, I will be your ambassador of good will) . Mentor cum judge in reality show chest bangs with tall promise "You are going to sing in my next film" ( strictly between us, I am badly in search of one). Bush's "Weapons of mass destruction" can be read ( I want oil). Zardari's "Stateless actors" can be read (State sponsored actors). The lone surviving terrorist Kasab "He is not found in our data base" ( Data base? Sounds weird. It does not exist in my country?). Same Zardari announcements like "The proof provided by India is not admissible in any court of law" ( The court of law has any thing to do in strategic affairs?). "we are equal victims of terrorism" ( reap as you sow).

Far more crispy lessons to tickle your funny bone, state prescribed text book to 2Nd class in Pakistan reads " India was part of Pakistan" ( Hozzart? Re write the history. Any way many pre independence born citizens are kicking their buckets) , many more poison spilling lessons inducted into class books. "Catch them young" policy strictly adhered to. "Hindus in corroboration with British wanted to destroy Muslims" reads 5Th class reader. Set the mind in the right direction during budding stage, later Indian missiles with name "Pruthvi" can be countered with Pakistan "Ghori" missile ( Pruthvi was misread to be Pruthvi Raj Chowhan by them ) Ghori was followed by "Ghajni" ( both famed for their successive defeats followed by clemency by Indian kings and finally victorious after 11 and 17 attempts ) by their young scientists, taking vital nutrition of hatred against India during the childhood.

Imagine Talibans, LeT, and Al qaida fighting for Pakistan, one already offered it's willingness. Out lawed can turn patriotic if ideologies seemed similar on a long run. You can buy a suicide bomber in your neighbouring country to settle your scores with any one. You want to find nuclear technology in gray market? Wait for some time. You can negotiate a small bomb to annihilate your next town old enemy. Macabre at it's best is in store for us in bundles. Face it or perish.

Has any body guessed that India, mother of all the civilizations can also ring a death knell to the human history, through it's erroneous long parted son? Breeding ground turned grave yard. Mother turned terminator. So grievous to name, but unavoidably to be christened so.

Raja Marg

In a foggy morning as it took me some time to realise what is in front of me, I found a new thrill. They laid a metal road with a nice black top right in front of house. What a great relief ! From time immemorial I have been sharing this road with a cow, apple cart, auto, cycle, beggar, bus, car, coconut bunch, motorcycle, scooter, every bloody thing which has got a disc called wheel. . I really get puzzled how every one slip into the main road with such a neck breaking speed without stopping for a second to look around and understand the intensity of traffic on the main road . As I have been driving for decades not quite sure of which traffic symbol indicates what, many must have taken their licences without learning the fundamentals. For many, only two things are identifiable like a break and an accelerator in terms of his vehicle. .Still I am able to find my way into this jungle world without tumbling.

The new road which looks like a rare possession, is obviously being enjoyed by every one. But all of us have a lurking fear in mind that this joy is transient, as every department on earth will find it's way of locating my new road, taking oath to dig it with precision on some pretext or other. Day one, two, pass with peace, third day definitely they will find a malfunctioning telephone line or sewage pipe with perfect synchronisation.Or they will come up with new zeal to lay some new lines. Even when the loads of mud excavated left to its fate, I perfected the art of trekking it. By the time I get down from the mound , the scooter is ready from back to thrash me down, the poor rider struggling to balance it with his fat wife and son as pillion, his little daughter standing in front trying to take control of his handle. Occasionally I find few rescue islands called foot paths but the joy of walking lasts only for a minute as I am forced to find a fruit vendor with his neately arranged oranges and watermelons on full stretch of footpath. . As I notice ropes being tied to one pole to another I could understand that the place has been earmarked for him. I think I am fortunate enough to find puncture wallah only next to him. Otherwise where do I go all the way to get my tyre punctured? He too has a stake on foot path and manages to keep his bulky air filling machine on it, with pipes hung to the tree on his head. The RTC buses are precariously racing with cars heavily leaning to the left with numerous people hanging to it. What the poor driver can do? His regular trips are scheduled and he is bound to reach the destination on time by land or air. Each RTC driver and conductor should be awarded with Ashok Chakra for transporting these unruly millions to their destinations on these bumpy roads. Conductor somehow manages to penetrate into the crowd to sell a ticket to the reluctant traveller, who is silently praying his god to bring his bus stop as soon as possible before a demon called conductor approaches him.No amount of physical contact with women folk can wrack conductor's celibacy. With old and infirm unable to board, few enthusiastic mothers taking opportunity of this busy hour to teach their nearly crawling toddlers the lessons of ascending and descending the bus, few young girls trying their cat walks with their stilettos , he always finds it difficult to tell them that he is running behind the schedule.

What is more intriguing is my puncture wallah's ability to communicate with a half naked lunatic who prefers to sit in that corner often meditating and occasionally pelting stones on by passers. The new laid road gave rise to hopes to jobless bunch of ill dressed youngsters who can be put to multifarious uses right from manual labour to begging, and stealing. It extended their periphery. The untidily dressed bearded men hiding them selves in the tree shades floating in their hallucinations can uncurl themselves on this comfortable road after loosing their consciousness.

I did not even feel like getting into the by lane leaving my precious though hazardous road for the sheer pleasure of gliding over it again and again , squeezing between unauthorised parked cars, comforting myself that by lanes are even worse, as every human contemplates his parking there, often being rejected by every shop owner and pushed to the end of the street. My ears already half deaf with horns continuously blowing exceeding the tolerable decibels, I think that I have every right to walk across the road, as it seemed to have no reprieve to it's unending stream of vehicles, after all I cannot wait ages to reach my home you know?

For millions who can not find a better home than this sprawling road to live and as well to defecate, government is heartlessly planting plants below flyovers so that they will not become shelters for many, devoid of roof on their head. Shops are no less grabbers. The moment shutters are opened half the shop finds it's way to the roadside with luring ice cream bars, onions, brooms , breads, eggs, chips hanging on our faces. Call a gene, he is there in front of you in form of a shop keeper.Mobile Sim cards, cello pens, detergents, biscuits,hair dye, notebooks, all from A to Z are being sold inside the tiny shop. In it's ever expanding maneuvers it always thinks of keeping a xerox machine on the occupied foot path area to cater to the people around. Hotels without parking areas are shut for a day only to reopen on next day with a tiny parking board right inside the hotel, I wonder how a scooter can really be lifted into the hotel, and how many two wheelers in reality can be accommodated inside . All the officials want is a simple board. A car wallah is not entitled to a tiffin or coffee on roadside restaurant unless he wishes to park his car straight in it's kitchen.

Many organisations concerned with green belt propose to our administration, that best way to control the private vehicles is to levy a heavy parking fee almost equivalent to their EMI. With every buyer being deterred from buying a car or scooter of his own, I wonder how one will reach his workplace on time with our fleet of erratic buses. Probably every one should practice hanging to trees keeping in view of his future bus escapades.Every office should provide one closet to every one to keep his additional pair of clothes, or crumpled clothes should be made a mandatory dress code.. Horns be banned from the streets , suddenly policy makers gone conscious of sound pollutions , but the problem lies in driving this crazy lot out of the way without blowing a horn. Perhaps every one should be equipped with a stick so that he can stop at every 20 yards and wave his stick to scatter the crowds on his way. Loud Barats, dances on the streets, bhajans and prayers with acoustic amplifiers are rarely considered as potential dangers to your ear, barring this poor horn.

Gandhi went around India to understand it before he takes a plunge into serious Indian politics, now to understand India we don't have to travel all the way to distant places. Take a few minutes walk on the main road. You will understand India better.

Wait....booting...

Just then a news broke out that India is "shoeing" China with it's cost effective shoes in the export market, bringing grin to the large Indian public who want to take pride in being number one for exporting something to the world. In the past, jute gave that pride, then tea emerged, but lost it's top rank due to growing Srilankan presence. Our garments despite all creative designs often play second fiddle to Bangla desh or Srlanka due to international regulations and constraints. Where ever we enter, one thing is conspicuously notable , we lack quality. Our goods fall short of sleekness, finish, and soringly high priced. Remove the import restrictions, in their own country of origin it is hard for them to find buyers. Lack of srict quality controls and standardization, non availability of quality raw material, coupled with our own greed to make an extra buck, often we fail to conform to the international standards . Many old time stories of stones being sent in tobacco boxes, and substandard material hidden below the visible quality stuff on the top, consignments drastically differing from samples, tell us that we need some moral drilling. More often we lost international credibilty. To day our exports comprise not more than 1% of the total global trade. Our huge local demand, coupled with our inability to meet the international standards can be atrributed to this situation. It is ironical that we are capable of making huge cast iron pillar, but miserably fail to make a quality safety pin.

If we seriously propose to do something in this direction, many areas can be contemplated with our vast reserve of crafts men and cultural tradition. Jewellery, handlooms, readymades, handicrafts, spices, mangoes, tea, can truely carve a nitche for themselves, least affecting the local buyers. Where is the need for suicides by the weavers, artisans? Many agencies who are relegated with boosting exports, are in slumber and too little was done. Many cooperatives initiated to promote handlooms and handicrafts are pathetically infested with middlemen and craftsmen continue to live with their abject poverty. We saw how much we could do with software, which contributed to the immense paradigm shift in the country, because it was completely invested in the hands of conscious private enterprises with least government interference.

Our joy of surpassing in shoe market had a "kajal lining". Iraqi jounalist's 10 number shoe must have already inspired many motion sensing game makers to produce a duck game. We certainly do not support this kind of violation of decent journalism norms, but it shows how vulnerable a dignitary can be, as he had no rescuer till a second shoe went into air. It also had an under reading of seething public anger against the selfstyled international policing. Peel the makeup to the base, the true face of egoistic leader who crazyly drives the targeted nation into civil wars, brutal deaths, and anarchy, to the liquidation of his own country's eonomy is spectackled.It is civilized social norm that a country's sovereignty should not be infringed. Saddam though not a holy cow by himself , remained as dignified martyr in the eyes of large part of the world. Awakening should come within the countrymen against a brutal leader, and should not be taught or imposed by an outsider. Take the lesson number one.

The mighty Soviet Union was dismantled single handedly by Gorbachev, driving the colossal country into multiple civil wars , chaos, hunger , uprooting millions from their base, forcing well regarded strong socialistic women to prostitution. A country with vast reserve of skilled personnel, sports, knowledge, technology, ultimately fell into the hands of unscrupulous drunkard corrupt politicians. What sort of a human misery it had to go through? A prestigious space centre which sent Yuri Gagarin, and Valentina Terishkova into space, giving runs to US with urgently felt space ambitions, now remains to be a cheap piecec of exhibition.I suppose you and I can take a ride over there paying some paltry amount.Today you find Russians among top who shore all their illicit money to Swiss banks, only to be surpassed by our own great Indian biggies. How ludicrous to see just one person(Gorbachev kinds) with his king sized ego and wrong policies can make all the difference to people. If there are many heroes to this world who did marvellous job, there are some villians who debauched it.

Many want a Mida's touch in their ventures, but Ramalinga Raju wanted a Maytas touch. Rebuked within hours of proclamation he had lessons of his lifetime, share holders running for his head, he went to hell and came back. At the moment frantically engaged in damage control measures and buy backs. His RamaRaja Nagar in Kompally in early ninties had hardly any takers, taking his measure of essential protein from Satyam spinning Mills dreamt of Satyam Computers in a small way to become fourth largest software firm in the country. For many in Andhra Pradesh real estate is the hot chase. Most of our real estate barons who rule the state are hard believers in their grandpa theory of limited land to unlimited people, and stick to buying and selling rather than in creating something. Bunch of bandits who sell sand, water, stones, lands belonging to this mother earth become a powerful caucus to smash the scientific logistics of the land use. Aborted Maytas' aquisition proposal with simple stroke of pen by the board of directors, is all set to transform into a nightmare to it's mother more than an asset with every regulatory authority on earth checking its credentials. Single unthoughtful mistake can tranfer you to barbecuing hell. Hence forth do not commit a mistake unless you are pushed against a wall.

Hardly enjoying the success in "Asta Chemma" Bhargavi who died in the hands of so called husband is creating flutters in the cine and T.V world. Undeniably this was the sad story of many yester year heroines. Even at these times where heroines are geting smarter and smarter with money and career, many from the poor back grounds remain exploited by their parents, so called husbands, or lovers. High remunerations attracting many into astray fields flooded with unscrupulous exploiters, sadists and perverts, it is not uncommon that we recognise only suceessful faces but blurr to many unknown faces who perish in darkness. Degradation of values prompt few parents to trade with their children. These things happen as long as you see money taller than man. It is my strong belief that women who want to enter into various fields and also into unconventional ones, should get wiser with the ways of the world. Self defence is the most fundamental tenent of our survival.

With our undying feeling of being fumbled and taken to random, Pakistan arresting and releasing some terror heads with peer pressure from US, doing some kind of window dressing, it is finally recognised universally as an epicentre for terrorism. It is a hard truth that under no amount of external pressure, it will be able to unshackle it's linkage with these organisations . The only way of getting them out is to freeze the aid which it needs desperately. So long it is pampered with billions of dollars worth military aid. The only way to subvert it is to stop the life line, which is unlikely at present. Us has to recognize that knowingly or unknowingly it is pursuing a wrong foreign policy and feeding terrorists into robust health, while trying to keep it as their base for strikes.

If cooperation and friendly ties were to exist between India and Pakistan they would have done huge trade and commerce and apart from saving transportation costs (rough estimate of 10 billions ) to make their people's lives much better. But all the sixty years they made their lives miserable by fighting with each other, fundamentally issues being based on simple things like whether God should be prayed by sitting erect or bending forward . Many more insane fanatics still want to take the world to rampage on this issue. After all, adhering to one faith is very much private affair that can be confined to four walls. How you are saved or damned by God is extremely personal experience which need no endorsement by others. Beleifs spreading like wild fire causing onslaughts, are to be rejected and countered with defiance.

Thank God... now my computer booted. I think some of the above things too need booting (pun intended).

Halloween Sunday

am i a patient of amnesia? Very few memories haunt me. Many flash as if they were of my past birth. i do not know whether ever i loved Sunday. The ensuing Sunday gives me the bouts of depression, even before it appears. Dreary sundays are jiffy indicators that your social life is in dooms. Dismal sunday is a precursor to your growing solitude. Our own small world shrinks to void leaving nothing to look forward.

Why are you sleeping when all of us are talking? They repeatedly ask me. I feel i am participating. Yet dozy and intermittantly diving into unfathomable depths or flying onto the sky steering with perfect control panels no body seems to know that i have an inborn capacity to fly . i feel so happy to rest amongst loud cries (not literal cry). A feel that i can securedly nap when there are so many to take care of things. In the still night I saw a lamp man scaling the ladder leaning on the lamp post to light a flickering lamp barely good enough to brighten the dark corners of the streets, there rings a bell from a distance, Ding- dong, i do not know where from, thana? church? i was too young a creepy toddler to know, to understand. Yet the memory leaves a carbon print . When the night falls every one falls asleep i get a hinted caution that i need to be alert. May be it is the same way, bustling monday makes me comfortable that i have six long days to relax, when men on the streets run towards bus stops, speeding motor cycles, thrashing cars, every one is busy to do something, i watch them amusingly. i have the whole world in front of me relentlessy working, and on the move, i can arrive at any place i want. i can do any thing i want. i have ample time to initiate a thing on monday and finish it on saturday. Every thing comes to a grinding halt on sunday. A jurky interception. A murky elongation of inaction.

Roads look deserted, forsaken and barren. Nothing works. Where the people have gone? Are they hiding in their caves? What do they do without working? Still scroll in their thick blankets? Are leisurely going through sunday chronicles? Or a lousy movie, eating breakfast? "You want chicken?" secretly wishpers my watchman on a social service machine. "NO. i do not eat" "Ayyo" he repents as if i lost the most beautiful part of my life. Tired of blackbusters on T.V eating my half day, sick of scripted emotional high drama and tearshedding personal accounts of reality shows they give me a sense of de ja vu. Is naturalness so unpracticable? Over smart ten years kid smirking loud expressions must have had horrid training in the green room, call it a child labour? Day long people sitting glued to the box to refill the past misses. What am i doing there? like a gate keeper in cinema theatre, the most detached audience.

i ramble to the mall-cum-cinema-cum restaurant desperately hoping to get into at least one of them. All of them categorically say they have no place for me on this dreaded sunday. People falling flat on eating tables, making beelines before trial rooms, i have a remote chance of getting a ticket to an unwanted movie if i show my wresling skills. I roll back to the parking slot with lost orientation. Where did i park my car? 1st or 2nd or 3rd floor? Plush mall, underneath has a gothic setting. How to mount on this secret paths on untamed terrain to get back into my mad world?

Post pone your illness until Monday, i tell myself. God forbidden if you happen to get sick you are given a liberal routine injection from a duty doctor, not to think of a specialist even in twenty four hour emergency hospital, can you deny a fact that doctor is human? How come i am not able to set my bioclock?

Hair baths, homeworks, special curries, beauty parlours every thing falls only on the cursed sunday when we are in the middle of the life. With heavy stomach i lie down with a news paper to go through an article of Tavline Singh or Nayantara Shegal, my little one contempts my paper in my hand saying "I hate it". Little ever i understood that she needs more of me, naively thinking she will play tangent to my body like a cub to the lioness. Cruched between quanlity and qualtity time to the children, many working matrons lately realise that quanlity will not substitute quantity.

i became familiar with Halloween only with James Joys' "Clay". Now i see all around big hotels and high circles celebrating it. Good idea, people are on the constant exploration of some distant fantasies, anyways as described in my native language, herbs grown in back yards are not suitable to be a medicine, like our festivals ( taking Shanker Dada M.B.B.S for proverbial trans-clues). Halloween is not horror but associated with horror symbols. Sunday is hallooween for me.

Community Sandwitched

India's civilization dating back atleast to 7500 years when rest of the world was running around jungles with rabbit skins, how wonderous it is to think that it is one of the two living civilizations in the world, other being China. Ages elapsed, seasons turned, seas rose high, rivers dried up, typhoons thrashed,famines broke, still we find people live the same way, follow the same customs, perform the same rituals, share the same culture, speak the same quotient. They were first in many, contributed medicine, mathematics, sturctural engineering, handlooms, geometry, astronomy, ship building, metellurgy, yoga, astrology, music, magic, epics, cooking, sanitation what not? Still many which remain undicovered, and falsely attributed to various oirigins due to our own lethargy to prove.They lived with very refined tastes, lead quality life, practiced impregnable Dharma , designed exemplary community living, enjoyed fabulous riches.

It basked in many golden periods under great kings who cared for people.Eventually it's fabled riches which made it vulnerable for so many invasions. After the fall of mighty kingdoms it fragmented into tiny kingdoms , caught with their internal feuds, it gave away to some illeterate barbaric invaders from far away drought stricken barren lands.

Some muslim invaders who penetrated into India took away riches to their motherlands, but many preferred to stay. Many thwarted natives , destroyed their temples in a blind belief that it was pagan, forced many to their faith , penalised for not adhering to it. This continued till many invaders truely started believing that it was their home. True integration started then. We get some examples of good governance from Sher shah Suri. Moghuls came retreated , again came to stay for ever, leaving one great Akbar who closely resembles Ashoka the great, becoming a true paragon of Mughal empire. Slave kings, Khiljis, Tuglaqs, Lodhis, Bahmanis country saw so many rulers, some able, some fanatical. It begot illustrious sons like Tippu Sultan, Sirajuddoula who fought their tooth to nail with British.

By this time India has already come to terms with it's muslim rulers and ever growing muslim population. The straits of intimidation, violence and destruction of the yester years though left deep scars in the Indian psyche, but it truced with the ground reality of it's large numbers with changed identities, and numerous posterity of new incumbents. All of them coexisted for centuries, till British divided them again on the basis of religion in their poles in 1926 which ultimately led to the division of country in 1947.

With many muslims opting to stay in India, it remained the largest minority group in India , probably the largest in any country, after the formation as an independent nation. India for long had no problems with the presence of muslims along with other minority communities, who were absorbed in to it's mainstream in a smooth and natural way. The differences never surfced gravely. The sense of nationalism was infused into the minds of all the communities, and national inetgration surmounted all other considerations. They were psychologically united until the oil money attracted many muslims to the offshores. Plush banglows, fat bank balances and high living, triggered large exodus of the community to the Midddle East. Many Indian muslims were looked down in the international parleys as if they were spoiled with their local mix up. Indian muslim started becoming global muslim. Many world wide changes leading to faith in fundamental tenets started changing the loyalties of the some Indian muslims to it's universal brotherhood than to their country of origin. Many started communicating to their alikes in the world with more likemindedness than with their Indian counterparts. Many who stayed back in India languished in poverty and illiteracy. The new ruling class of India has failed to identify the poverty pockets in the community and administer any remedy . Continuously waged and failed wars with Isreal consolidated Arab world and few started to believe that Islam is in trouble. Some have decided to take to arms to defend the Islam in peril. Indian claim on Kashmir with ever present armed forces, brewed plebicite and it's softer version as self rule among some, and after the death of towering leader Shaik Abdulla, finally fell into the hands of new insurgent Afgan groups after Soviet evacuation, who made alliances with local seperatist groups . Militancy made inroads into the picturesque Kashmir giving a death blow to it's tourism and peace. Indian claim of Kahmir was viewed more as oppression of muslims by Hindus as hundreds died during the militant operations. Pakistan ever on it's own mission of internationalising Kashmir issue, could sucessfully sow anti Indian sentiments in it's land, already brutally injured by partition . Few organisations truely convinced about the oppression of muslim brothern by Hindus, took vows to free Kashmir from Hindu hands. In the global front, terror organizations formed with fundamental precepts viewed the whole of west to be their enemies, the rivalry dating back to centuries. Iraq war emphatically proved to their minds that US, and UK as their arch enemies of Islamic nations. After 9/11 with no place to hide AL Quaida marched to Afgan terrains and there from to Pakistan borders, to carry on their activities, made close contact with some organisations of Pakistan to make a beginning of Jihadi terrorism on the Indian soil.

When India with the rest of the world is trying to break the shackles of orthodxy, the growing number of lace caps and beards threw Indian public into fear psychosis and embarassed whether it is the return of law of jungle by any means.Once stylish Imran khan team turning into beards and caps perplexed many Indian minds, and every utterance suffixed or prefixed by chant of God's name might have made them more pious, but frieghtened an outsider. Constant reprobation of Sufi music, calls to abandon Durgas faith seemingly thinning down to very limited original pure practices, marked changes were witnessed. By this time the ugly face of terrorism started targetting the Indian soil causing many deaths. It started unvailing it's presence very much in the Indian soil along with cross borders ,with many turning as carriers of the diabolic machine with many operatives. The final blow struck at Mumbai mayhem followed by combat, verifications, enquiry, protests, heads rolling down, negotitions and finally internationalisation. India has learnt many lessons with this attack, and importantly astonishing facts as under.

Many muslims in India condemned the attacks as against the popular belief that they support it. They showed their solidarity with a national cause in no uncertain words. It is proving to be increasingly burdensome for many to prove their integrity. There is a growing sense of sarrow in their circles that they were viewed with suspicion and mistrust. It is the time that many Indians sensed the unquestionable patriotic temper in many Indian muslims. Economic growth and opening of opportunties in India gave the confidence to many of them that India is place worth living.They are born here. They want to live here. They have no allegiance to Pakistan or any other nation. They regard themselves as Indians. To few who help terrorism vicariously , it is like a trade, where they can make money irrespective of the fact that humanity is at risk. They have no religion.They have to be handled ruthlessly than attributing the whole claim to the community. Many moderates claim that jihadi is unislamic. It is high time that our people at the helm of affairs to look into the poverty that is widely prevalent in the community and make some concerted efforts to alleviate it. All our leaders have to take moderate intellectuals into confidence and act upon their suggestions. This country belongs to every one who stayed here for generations. They have nowhere to go. Cordinating with the good willed local muslims in combating terrorism, is the most effective way of deling with it. Any organisation or party who wants to flare up communal animosities whether it is Hindu or muslim should be strickly be dealt with. Any body who preaches revenge or retaliation should be slapped and distanced. Confidence begets confidence. We have to bear it in mind that mistrust breeds more terorists. Let us not alienate the people who genuinely are interested in peace. They have to be assured that they are not suspected. We do not suspect Moulana Abdul Kalam Azad, M.C.Chagla and Abdul Kalam.

Errant idiolised

Somebody somewhere gets bored with what he was for a long time. He tries for a change. Sometimes it gets clicked with many in a beeline who want to be different. Nothing seems as appealing as rebellion, and transgress in our youth. Without fail we tend to think that we are a unique creature in this world. It is not strange to think that we are more intelligent than our predecessors. It happend with them also. In our unquenched thist we invite some unwanted guests into our life. That is how many negative characters in the history get their boost and hype. It is not unusual for them to get some type of admiration also.

Many stereotyped gooddie gooddie characterisation of our epic heroes in old d black white movies got a make over with NTRama Rao portraying Dhuryodhana trnsforming it to larger than life personna. Even virtuous Yudhistara deplorably looked like joker before thundering NTR. Conscious efforts were made to identify and magnify the positive qualities of nagative characters to make them unique. One writing spotted in my adolescent years praising demons more than Devatas appealed to me so much, that I began to think that all the epic writers who flayed demons were fools and blind to their greatness . If ever I come across a version, that bad is good enough for a win, and mythical win of goodness is never materialised, I gave a great amount of thought over it. Few ephemeral victorious evils looked convincingly big enough. Even to day there could be so many in this world who secretly admire Hitler. It is not a rare experience that we find few villains being hailed and idiolised.

Recent increasing trends of hailing few negative characters of the history and raising questions about the might of virtue are really disturbing. It can be attributed to short sightedness, lack of maturity and growing materialism. Feeling high about erratic behaviour, wide use of foul language, more and more assertions about the need to be self centric, though looking very contemporary, are very shallow in nature.. We consciously navigated away from them since our cave man days, in our never ending persuit of refinement and culture. Savage and barbarous living was abandoned by our past generations as they were crude in nature. Now again we are pushing back our young minds into these wild traits . Appealing to the primeval instincts is always easier than to the refined subconscious mind. It is an easiest way of corrupting a mind. Erring is human. But erring is should not be a matter of habit. We should not think that fire in us is extinguished, if we stop to be different. It can also be deciphered as rekindling the light of supreme knowledge.

If somebody is interested to gaze ito the annals of history, we can find that modern ages specially in cultural domains, have been charaterised by rebellion, defiance, and rendevouz with, out of square thinking followed by so many isms like, existentialism, surrialism, impressionism, symbolism often characterised by bizarre, shocking, flights of fantacy, hallucinative, violation of social, moral and artistic norms , induced by drugs, alcohol, and sadism.

Strickly speaking all the isms are capable of confusing a fresh mind integrated with great parental care, social characterstics, positive energy filling memories, naivety, compassion, caramelized with many layers of honesty and truthfulness and instinctive joy. For a normal human being life is not so complicated.

Human history is largely consummated with good but not not devoid of bad. It was always a war between them, by all means triumphed by good. It was eulogised by many wise men, epitomised by epic characters, fondly pursued by many spirited, lost battles were equated to winning with pride, ensued deaths never regretted as they had noble ends, many had renounced as they had greater cause, it was altogether a flow of positive thought pursued and perpectuated with stanchness. It brought lawrels, social grant, fulfilment, pride and self worth. It was a gigantic social quest in large human settlements, setting the norms in the realms, during this great human odyssey.

In dynamic society many of the age old teachings started looking hackneyed after being persued for many centuries. It is not so unusal that any preaching sounds like hammering on the wall. Repititive messages looked archetypal and simply"boring" inthe present day context.Modern day mavricks exemplified and pedestalled for their sheer taste for novelty. Short sighted examples of bad all reigning over, are taken to prove a point, that good is not worth persuing ( good is not good enough for every body, and good is contextual, good is relative, good is changeable etc..etc..) Loftiness dubbed as sluggishness.

We must learn how to carry on with our conviction. I beleieve that our conscience is the touch stone for it's verosity. If we are afraid to do certain things it is a simple indication that it is not good. If our heart pricks somewhere while doing a thing it is sending a message that it is not good. If you are causing loss to any one it is not good. If you are causing lose to yourself defying all your premonitions, deliberately choosing to be aberrant I loudly say it is not good. I am not afraid to say that good largely remains unchanged. Many fundamentals rarely change from their rudiments even with the changing times. They are as real and constant as Sun rising in the East and dog being faithful all through the ages. Trees never stop blossom in spring, flowers never stink. Fruits are bound to be sweet and milk flows white with minimum human intervention. If argued that all these can be crooked in one day, that is the end of the purity of the soul and end of this great human saga. Always remember that if there were ten bad people to kill and there were five hundred good people to save. Blend your belief in goodness with courage. Then you are large statured with your righteousness. You are as clean as a baby with your moral uprightness. You become unbeatable. You turn into great force by your self. From this moment you are tall, strong , powerful, mighty, and invincible.

Bomb Demographic

It is almost five days since I touched my laptop. I had ample of time, still I did not feel like writing something. Nothing seemed to be more important than to grieve. Not that my life was uneventful. I had one marriage, one birth day party, one large scale puja to attend. But there was some thing which was devouring inside, some pain, hurt, angst, truely I was more concerned with the nation than with myself. My servent, cook both took leave as if showing solidarity to Bombay carnage. Piled up greasy vessles in the sink, unclean drawing,heaps of dirty linen, long menu requests , I did not seem to have bothered about any thing. Such was the case with many. Unprecedented anger, shock, followed by discussions in every place , one general unanimous conclusion about the non functionality of our political syste, which made people so raged. Right from an young college student, to not so politically aware old lady, with broom stick sweeping the road, every body was dissolutioned with their inept politicl order. They seemed to be very little concerned with their personal security and safety. It was viewed as an attack on their national integrity, sovereignity and self respect. Multitudes from all age groups, from all sections of the society expressing their solidarity with gleaming honesty on their faces walked through all metros and hailed their heroes, men in uniform, who lost their lives. Many untold stories of men who saved lives in their small way came to light though lately.. I am throughly mystified with their national fervour and unquestionable patriotism which was displayed inpromptu.

After so many dissections, post-mortems, many startling revelations about our security apparatus and it's mechanism surfacing in pathetic guise, send ripples of anger and sence of betrayal even to the perceivably informed classes. Our police in the front lines, generally understaffed and ill trained, many never had a chance to press a trigger in their life time, are generally caughtup within their own wrangles with confused boundaries of duties, in water tight compartments that even a scrap of paper refused to be moved from one cubicle to another for fear of acountability. One unwilling police man for every 10,000 people, and many officials in crazy bidding for lucriative postings, many busily engaged in securing the lives of VIPs and VVIPs , our police force is a hot pot of corruption, selective efficiency and reluctance.

So many names and organizations with possible links with Lashker and vicariously with Al Qaida, flourishing and mutiplying in our own back yard strangely with the knowledge of the protectors of our law and order. Sytem, forcing few efficient and motivated officers to seal their mouths and tighten their hands, for fear of accountability, and preaching " one cannot singularly fight evil" sermons . Our limited contingency of commandos are primarily used to guard the lives of our ploitical leaders, ironically lives of some leaders chargesheeted for muders, whose life is perceivably sweeter than many he slaughtered. One can freely carry a gun and transport loads of RDX even on his backpack without fear of being caught . Any Bangla Deshi inspite of HUJI threats, can enter India with a tourist visa or some other silly paper, to stay here indefinitely, peacefully carrying his operations , or even in search of simple lively hood, and some times even can travel to neighbouring island nations via illegal sea routes. He is mixed up in the crowd and can manage to get an election ID card also. Any refugee, or attacker can ferry through water to our coast and spill a disaster, or lost in the crowd to gather his crumbs of bread. With mushrooming Madarsas with no door open to an outsider including police personnel, underworld finding new ways of extortions and funding cross border terrorism, any muslim youth in rags can be lifted to other side of the fencing and after being taught with crude killing Jihadi dropped back to our heartland to carry out his deadly mission, all under the nose of our disoriented intelligence slueths not effective due to millions of reasons only politicians know.

Thought of striking the terrorist camps across the borders is seemingly remote option, with our growing knowledge about the helpless civilian government of Pakistan totally controlled by army and ISI, who flourish on perennial anti Indian stand, Rice arrival finally figuring out to be a sheer condemnation and exerting pressure to ban Lashkar, our leaders place themselves in predicamnet of public anger.... this is the result of managing a country without conscience. Angry demands to handover 21 mostwanted terrorists to India is sheer attmpt of self betrayal with many terror suspects rotten in our jails without being trailed, and judgements pronounced after one and half decades with many new generations blooming, many who suffered dying, and many witnesses forgetting the past. Pointless excercises of masquerading the mismanagement.

Any modernisations of weaponry which is being sought now, to thousands of police men and so many ranks of armed guards, and revamping the whole system with so many new inputs , recruting so many police personnel to guard one billion people on the streets, can our budget support so much of expenditure in one time ? How much heavy guarding is required to protect our long coast lines and extended borders with so many hostile neghbours? How much database you need to create, to issue identity cards to so many marginally living faceless human beings in the crowds? A mamouth application and too big a task to attend on urgent basis.

Apart from lapses our huge sea of humanity is another factor which renders job unwieldy .Time consuming improper security checks, callous handling of baggages, name sake vigilence, are not going to produce any desired results, dispite enormous labour involved in checking millions every day. All the problems related to high population growth should have been carefully studied over years with all implications and repercussions, which our leaders conveniently ignore due to their own preoccupations. No control policy was worked out with forthought , resulting in chaotic present condition. Fear looming large with emergency excesses with regard to family planning, no political party dared to talk about population explosion in the recent years . Much warned water wars, food shortages, global warming, were not paid any attention. Conveniently we presume that preserving the earth is the responsibility of rich nations since they enjoyed it the most, without moving our little finger towards it. Population which is looking to be good enough for to day is certainly going to be huge burden on the nation's growth and economy and management will be a gruesome excercise in coming years. It is our habit or otherwise helplessness to ignore vital issues until some huge catastrophe falls in our lap.

Talking of Tatas

During later parts of 20th century when India was toiling under abject poverty handful of richmen were often referred to as Tatas, and Birlas. As the years passed by we understood that Tatas were some thing more than being richmen to India. The name Jemshedpur sounded more than just a steel factory to most Indians. It ushered an industrial revolution to India. Many more "Temples of India" as dreamt by Jawahar Lal Nehru were rather inspired by Tata steel factory, paving way to many heavy industries in new born democracy . Many more industries of the group incubated by it's legendary mother made India proud. These industries always did much more than just commerce, generally followed with good town ships to it's employees providing every possible benefits imaginable. The large chunk of their gains went to philanthrophy made headway to many institutions which contributed much to science and technology.Persuing their new business ambitions in late eighties, their T.V. ads highligting their contribution to sports which spoke "We also make steel" was truely piece of brilliance, unforgettable.

Much revered JRD Tata a distinguished figure in the Tata's clan was an icon to the Indian industry. Being the first man with aviation certificate in the country, his passion for flying laid foundation to Air-India. JRD, a man with dignity and vision had many genuine, well thought over solutions to national issues which should have been followed by our leadership with ingenuity.

In a country which was literally entangled in it's own worst license raj and red tapism, almost rendering it impossible to run a business in fair lines, Tatas somehow sustained perseverently . Not withstanding their huge business size they always had a clean image, and committed to ethical business. They were the most respected business houses of India ,though they lost their numer uno place to many others, who emerged later very strong with occassional tainted records. But it had not sent any jim-jams to them, they never frenaticall ran with sudden felt greed. They kept on forging ahead with their cool.

Nomination of Ratan Tata, who was then heading a black sheep "Nelco" in Tata's group, as a sucessor to JRD came as surprise to many. Not so flamboyant, media shy , silent Ratan Tata did not remain so silent in his later parts of his tenure. Many companies floated later like Tata motors, Tcs, Tata Telecommunications did not fail to show his dynamism. He never believed in blabering and never boastful . For company of it's might, albeit it's a clear cutting edge, a sudden tryst with global aquisitions like Corus going little over board, I think is showing signs of strain. Newly aquired brands of Jaguar and Land Rover still have to go some way to make a dent into the market . A painful decision of pulling out of Singur to the stake of Rs.1500 crores not only costed dearly to him but also caused demoralisation as he pronounced" A promise is a promise" at the iaugural function of Nano. How many politicians do really believe in sticking to promises ?

The Taj Mahal Hotel built by Jemshtji Tata near Gateway of India, symbolic of self pride of an Indian, stood almost like monument for decades . The mayhem of Bombay terror reduced the heritage building to ashes in some parts, and is painful sight to many, and one can imagine what would have gone through Ratan Tata. Very sensible and dignified statement "Taj will be re built inch by inch " is kind of reassurance to the people of the nation about their abilty to with stand any kind of belligerence . I think many political leaders failed to give kind of assurance to the people and breath confidence into their tattered psyche.

They are more than just business men to India. It is in bad taste if they are treated and belittled as rich business men constantly engineered with profit ribbon cutting . They are the people who consciously participated in building of the nation from the forefront. We have to regard them as very important milestones in this nation's archive.

A Wakeup call

Many tales follow any dastardly killing. Fathers who lost their daughters, husbands who lost their wives, sons who lost their fathers, many who lost their near and dear. Heaps of dead bodies all over. Our principal secretary announcing the death toll with a smiling face evasively answering the questions. Are we lacking propriety and decorum?Even after years of 9/11 do we see any US official taking cheerfully about the issue? They salute their fire men with grief smitten expressions on every occassion.There should be national sense of grief. Watching Mallika Sherawat dancing really looks like sin at the moment. We see every body in the official circles with run-out-mill dialogue and facial expressions, barring few military officials who have not completely lost their sense of proportion.


We have not seen any body banging their chest with loud cry, not with ungroomed hairs let loose on face, essentially because it is an attack on elite. Many who come to Taj, and Oberoi are highly lettered, widely travelled, opulent Indians. Expressions were controlled, talking with sensibility, reacting pragmatically. We see the other side of India.


The sight of few muslim IT professionals holding white boards writing "Pliticians, Keep away from here" at funeral of Hemant Khakare's funeral, whom they barely know, is signalled like some kind of revolution India is heading for. We see many more muslim boys talking in impeccable English expressing their solidarity. At one moment we have to stop and think . Who is creating divide ? It is simply an elite war!! It is a wrath of the urban elite that is latent all the years below their calm composture, against the system, against their fifth grader politician who can not even chant Jana Gana Mana properly. Many elite reacting like never before, press ferociouly, fearlessly attacking like never before, politicians appear for the first time in their bracken years of rule looked muffled, and feared. It is a wake up call for the literate citizens who alienate them selves from the electoral system. It is a wake up call for the politician class who realized that they can no more fool public.


Why it took for the authorities to convey to the chief minister the need for commando operation? All looks so rediculous and it is a sin to write that it is funny.Even a lay person like me was able to sense the magnitude of the problem and its why can't it be figured out by an expert? Why it took 10 hours for N.S.G to arrive at a place of bood shed? It is simply because they had no aircraft to carry them. Their possible arrival in time by no uncertain words could have saved many more lives. With what kind of security infrastructure we are working? Why it takes morning 10 o'clock for every body to gain the momentum at the place of operation? I reatedly say it is not the mistake of the men in uniform who fought. It is the mistake of the system in which they are working. As I wrote before in my "How strong are we" we hardly realize the need to improve our infrasture with regard to our security system as well as public utility system.



It is not very strange to read that Lumbini Park, and Gokul Chat i nvestigations were dropped like hot potatoes by the state police machinery to non functional Octopus. Every body wants to clean their hands. Still I say people are too good. But they are badly managed and badly governed.

How Strong are we ?

I am pleased with what I have written in the wee hours at 4.30 with anguish before any newspaper struck my door on 27th. All the respected news channels like NDTV, Times Now concluded with deliberations with the same kind of note and line of thought as mine at the end of the day.

Yes, we succeeded combating the terrorist with great amount of precision and courage. Now, we encounter with a two big questions. How prepared are we to face this kind of attacks, and what are are over all defence capabilities ? We have to make a careful note that after all this, the destroyer achieved what he wanted to gain . He could kill many, capture many, trumatised us for number of hours, sent an crystal-clear message to the western world that he can srike them where ever they are. Is this not enough?

Our police inadequately armed and ill informed about combating strategies in this kind of situations went and lost their lives to an uncouth perpetrator, and in particular few of their meritorious kind. We were relentlessly punched and punished for the past few years. Still we don't learn our lessons? We are vexed with our leader's constant blame games, terror politics. We stop, startle when some thing happens, after few days every thing goes on smoothly till we get another blow. Is it not rediculous to see our police running with service revolvers and out dated rusted guns aginst an ultra modern terrorist with Ak 47 and other weaponry? Don't we ever envisage that our police force has to be modernised, imparted better training, and we have a need to set up special cells to face this kind of exigencies?. Are we able to petrol our long coast lines, and long borders effectively? The answer is catagorical"NO". We have to come interms with a harsh reality that terrorism is going to be there, and we are the unmistakable sure targets for nieghbouring terrorism and also international terrorism. When will we do that?

Our government thinks of 6 th pay commission to it's desk employees in it's numerous non functional departments by counting it's sheer number of votes, unmindful of it's jawans who come to their recue in every single baffling dirty situation fighting their goondas on the streets, controlling their unruly mobs, communal violences, seperatist elements apart from laying their lives for the noble cause of protecting borders , high seas, and skies. Are we rewarding them properly? Or we are ignoring them just because they dont go on strikes? or stage dharnas? Thankfully our armed force chiefs have been traditionally very loyal to the governments posing no threat to it's soverignity. But we have to bear in mind that it is unwise and unsafe to displease them to the extent of their outright rejection of pay commission recommendations. Is it a silent message that we have to deal with them with due consideration ? How are rulers taking this message?

It is better the lesser we talk about our defence euipment. We suffered for years with every other day crashing MIG 20s in the past due to our horrirific balace of payments situation. We had to compromise with MIRAGE 2000s which are no match to our neghbouring American supplied F16s. Much tainted Bofors was utter trash. All our DRDLs, HALs, and so many other enterprises do not produce any thing worth the name even after decades of their inception. Any foreign arm's dealer can dump his obsolete trash in our back yard just by pleasing our corrupt bosses with coppers. It takes decades for us to think of Long range ballistic missiles possed by our giant neighbour China who can pleasingly strike any of our cities by sipping a cup of tea sitting in his coutch. We always intent to buy a sinking warship paying exhorbitant price, due to improper approach in strategic affairs. We dont lack in experts , but we dont' listen to them for various reasons. We do not entrust a technical matter to an expert without our unskilled political intervention. We compromise our defence needs for the sake of our personal gains. With what kind of pride we can live in this world among countries who prioritise their defence, health, education above all other considerations . Our iniability to sufficiently allocate budgets to defence , stemming from our prority to our useless populistic programmes to stick to our power , results in improper supply of equipment to our jawans including their socks and boots impairing their effective functioning on the fronts. What a shame !! Inspite of our shamful situations if our jawans are performing with mettle it is simply because of their exemplary decipline and commitment and bove all indelible patriotism.

When we will learn our lessons? It is high time for introspection, and correction. No country without invincible defence system and strong economics is ever respected in this world of pragmatists who weigh one's presence visa-vis one's strength and capability.

Hats off my dear "Fouji" !

It is not like dropping a bomb in garbage bin and flying away. It is not like planting bombs in cinema halls, shopping complex, or in a train. It is blatant hurling them, and indescriminate firing at the people with latest power guns! It happend like never before in India. Strikers executed it with and motivation, plan and precision. Terrorist sneaked into heritage Taj, Oberoi,Trident hotels with perfect scheme. We lost many lives, many badly injured. Police lost their top notch cops. N.S.G Commandos, army, other security agencies swng into action quardened , stormed ,the hotels, combed the places, rescued many, still going on with iron grit .Politicians were not allowed to talk, neither paid attention by the conscious media. Swift security men with olives, helmets, and guns were cheered and clapped by the few spectators with admiration, confidence, and rare national spirit. People were behind them. They reposed their absolute confidence on these men with uniforms. They were allowed to do their job. The war is still going on. People who broke into the country know that they will die, they have not come here to negotiate, they have not come here to barter, they have come with a purpose. They want to show to the world that India is not a safe place. It can be overpowered, it can be incised, it can be muffled with craftiness, consiracy.It is far from over. It is an intended message to the west by inflicting a blow to vulnerable India.

My tributes to the brave police men who lost their lives, my salutes to my jawans who are fighting with mettle. They are our real heroes!

Born To Lead - part1

The winter is onset but the climate is really heating up. New billboards hoisted in all the corners and junctions are poised to capture the attention of the passers by with some photographs symbolically displaying lotus flowers, hands, cycles, lions, including elephants . I always wanted to know how the electoral symbols are alloted to the political parties. These symbols are generally not very artistic and designer stuff. Very simple things like tools, transportation vehicles, animals which can be easily be identified even by an illeterate villager are chosen with caution. Writing on walls was very much in practice few decades ago. It was my pleasure to read all the election writings on the walls on my way to school. I vividly remember the names even to day. Some miscreant naughtily added "Bho" before "JanaSangh". But we never get to see their photographs, as they cannot be painted on walls. Now with the latest technology flex boards made their way with digital prints and photos. All small time commercial artists arefading out of sight with no job work on hand . Every alternative day we see banners with imprinted photographs of some unknown committee members , wishing us happy festivals. No festival is left uncheered including shivrathri, Karthika Pournami which are rarely considered as festival, but practiced as holy days.Banners are embossed with Countless photos supposingly belonging to some Ganesh Nimajjan Committee, or one Navarathri Festival committee, all these religious minded people with long term ambition of making a fine transition into political leaders.They believe in recall effect. Some party worker who looks like a life convict, makes a sudden appearence in a big cut out wishing his leader a thumping sucess in his road show, or on his birth day, or atleast on his Delhi visit.

People are mobilized in lories, bussess, bullock carts,trains, lured with a biryani packet, and another liqid packet in the night. A promised buck will reach them in paltry sums at the end of the day after passing through so many middle men with hefty cuts. It is high time for "Dhanda" for many who wish there could have been elections every year. Party's strength and muscle power is generally adjudged by the numbers they gather for every meeting, disregard to the public inconvenience, and hardships for the participants. India is full of people, few fracures, few suffocations, few stampades, few deaths make no difference.

Some body speaks about the development that has taken place during his regime, some big projects, some houses, some hospitals, some ambulances , some small favours, some rice schemes. It so pathetic that they pose as givers and people as takers. The value of ruppes 2 which has many times depreciated during the past twenty five years, placing it's current value to approximate zero, still perceived as a scheme to be persued, making it tentamount to free distribution. We have to hang our heads in shame that even after 60 years of independence we still fall back to the basic free food distribution methodology like we do in in rescue camps on a tentative basis. Health care which has to be at the top prority in any government planning, is utterly neglected and thereby necissisated special schems. No body talks about education. The longer the people remain uninformed the longer will be their survival. Location of any project is never need based. It is always with some regional consideration. If "A" region gets 2, some" B" region should get 3. Corporate hospitals are in fierce compitition to be listed by the government to pocket a huge chunk of business. No body ever questions why the government hospitals are in such deplorable conditions and not considered worthy enough by the government it self for good treatment. Why they could not be improved during decades of their rule? We do not question them. Development looks more concentrated in small place like "Pulicherla" not because it is centrally located, but because it happens to be the home town for some big wig, bagging every possible good thing under the sun, attracting triple ITs, Central Universities, some IITs , including newclear power plant !!(Thanks you nuclear deal , you gave me an opportunity to place my hamlet on the world map) ) Why not some airport and a beach?. Success of a good warrior is not limited to defeating the enemy but also lies in exterminating the opposition. Any old case can be revived and persued, any alligation could be levied, any type of death blow can be perpetrated in persuit of political vendetta.

Some other player after tirelessly crusading for five years with petty issues, ultimately couldn't manage any big issue to challenge the existing rule, questions them on non specific universal issues like intigrity, corruption at every possible occassion , seems to have come in terms with reality, and goes one step ahead in promising free power, free loans, free rice, every thing free. I doubt whether any body's life in any country could be so free of encumbarences. Once acclaimed as a visionary, now seems to have lost his confidence and in all welcomes to glamour quotient in his party. I wonder whose money they are spending on charity any way?

Some actor turned politician who attracts huge crouds, leaving some to doubt whether it is the curiosity or alligiance which pulls so many crowds to him. Intially called as Mr. Dilly_Dally , surrounded by many amateurs, coterie,, and some loosers in their previous political adventures, appearently lacks in clear agenda and experience. The very vague filmy assumption of social maladies , lack of sure sightedness to hit the bull's eye, and his proclaimed opposition to Machiavellian leadership in general, his eagerness to appease every section of the society, need to be seen how will get translated into votes. While trying hard to get into the shoes of a politician he holds back lashing at any body, which sounds too gentlemanly. If people could make many celluloid heroes as their real time heroes bestowing votes in the past why can't he be the one ? Even Bush who ruled America for eight years did not know that many countries do exist on this globe. Some times it is the charisma that makes some leaders, some times it is their popularity, and seldom it is their sincerity.

Some come up with regional cards, whose political career is uncertain, and insignificant in bigger state , at least can aspire to become something in a small state and continue with their onslaught, and kick the bottle at every occassion.

Some come with saffrons struggling hard to make a dent in south, started initially with infusing survival intent in majority, later blown out of proportion with religious outrage, and opportunism, with national interest clearly in the closet, talks about terrorism taking every single opportunity with clear cut ambition of encashing it than fighting it, promises any thing even to the minimum of district sized separate states. What do they loose even if India is split into hundred pieces? They can have hundred chief chief minister ships , and hundred into sixty, six thousand cabinet ministeries.

Then come our comrades, with deciplined cadres, unbending thumbs with their anti Americanism, believe in leading 'peoples struggles' with notional fear of exploitation, rarely succeeding in ruling, with their own ruled states making no difference to people's lives, seemingly softening their stands on few issues believing in sharing some seats even with arch rivals, showing how ideology can be traded.

And many more small parties in fray, some north Indian parties who want to make their presence in South India to gain national stature, with many faces unknown to this new found land , wondering how rest of India is surviving without knowing a bit of Hindi.

Certainly these elections are going to be interesting, with many more theories to be rewritten, with many more equations to be derived at, with many more leaders emerging. But one thing is certain, people's lives are going to change very little. This fact is known pragmatically even to the farthest rural illeterate Indian.

Love thy fellowman

I Would not love to pen this if given a choice. But I have to do it, at least to ventilate my views which could posibly dispel some notions in few minds. With 'Dostana' hitting the Indian screen, many flocking around making it instanious success. Any time you can sell sex on screen with minimum guarantee.. This time with a difference, certainly for it's own commercial reasons, I am sure many more will follow. But for multitudes who choose cinema the sole source of affordable entertainment how it will ensure their psychological health, there lies the question.



As the talks, writings and movies on homo flings are on the rise, the healthy friendship and affinity with a pal has taken a hard hitting. Need to think twice before laying your hand around him or her, or sharing the bed, or couch is really unfortunate.. There is a fair chance the vibes can wrongly be coded as homosexual instincts within ourselves with constant beating and trumpeting about it from the media. Why it is so much hyped? The attempts are being made to normalise it, and to some extent glorify it. But let us think a while before doing these kind of things. Are we sending wrong signals to youngsters who can generally be ticked with any kind of romantic fantasies. They tend to take fancyful erotic adventures, since they are in their prime productive years and are strongly driven by desire. The natural urge for a mate has a pupose in nature that is procreation. Any urge without a purpose of procreation is unnatural. That is how homosexuality has been branded as unnatural. Any hormonal imbalances in few may lead to dominating antithetical drives. But we can not identify 20 out of hundred to have harmonal imbalances. Animal world is not sighted with homosexual drive , occasional playful attmpts during growing period is attributed to their wrong identification. Long deprivations, non-availability of the opposite gender, fear of being caught, safety factor, abuse, and any one attempt due to the above factors repeated and continued with certain amount fear in mind about their ability to consummate with the opposite sex in future, are all the factors which drive many innocent minds to aberrations. Aberrations often trailed with social ostracism ( which can supposedly be dealt with legislation with so many doubts lurking around), severed family ties drive many youth to distress and silent trauma.But life need not be confined there, perpectuating a mistake. There is always a door open some where for a trapped person. He can be helped to get out of it, than cursed or glorified. Affluent societies always had ample time to mull over some fanciful adventures, perversions, and over indulgence. Unabated sexual explorations gave birth to incurable disease called "AIDs" and passed on to the world , to day making it necessary to pour of millions into into's cure and rehabilitation, and expose many to death either deliberately or innocently. Drug abuse, devouring their societies is thankfully limited to few segments in our society. Let us not be in haste to catchup with the west, with all its merits, had numerous pitfalls. "Brokeback Mountain" Kate Perre" I kissed a girl" are miles away from us. Talking about it's unsuitability in Indian context is not hypocracy. May be the homo is not so alien to any society, but every one need not run with playcards "I am in sync with it". It is not talking about culture, not talking of ethics, it is not talking about morals, it is talking about man and his existence. It is talking about his mental condition. It is talking about his future on this planet. It is talking about an young lad who is so much confused about his sexuality and pushed to the point of belief that he is "Bi" or "Heterosexual". It is about one being excessively obsessed of being at very high end fashion, very contemporary, and his preference to bohemien life style. There is always a thin line that differentiates healthy thinking and unhealthy thinking. An admiration towards a curvy feminine beauty or muscular masculinity of our own kind need not be decoded as arousal and sensuality.There is always a scope for appreciation and envy too. I advise reading of "Death in Venice " by Thomas Mann to have an idea of how a fanciful affliction can lead to self destruction.

One India

When we hear Kailash Kher, or Sukhvinder Singh, Sunidhi Chowhan, old timers like Chanchal, Ila Arun, Subha Mudgal, Bhupen Hazarika some thing sqeezes your heart, the rustic chords, notes, an ability to creep into your subliminal of your nature, the very Indianness, sweet smell of a mud, the twirly wind of a desert, the wavering yearning of mind dangling between possession and desertion, the strange relation between being and fading, turbulance and silent deep under current, the awareness of dusky twilight, the innate cognizance of of the beginning and termination grips our soul. The wisdom passed through generations awakens with a jolt. The exotic learning look so shallow and empty.

We never think whether this particular singer is from Punjab or Rajasthan,TamilNadu or Assam. It is the Indian music that captivates you, whether it is "Rubba, Rubba" or "Lal Mere", "Bandhure" or "Ammadi" that enthralls you equally. Whether it is banks of Brahmaputra, or Ganga, Narmada or Kaveri you feel you are wandering on the heart of India. The grandeaur of Chola temple at Thanjavur or Mount Abu, Konarak or Khajuraho you are collecting the memories of past Indian architectural splendour. Whether it is Himalaya or Aravali, Nilgiris or Eastern Ghats you are scaling the great Indian mountain range . Whether it is sweating Jaisalmir desert or snowy Kashmir, deep Bay of Bengal or Arabian sea you experiencing the great Indian diverse ecology. Whether it is Archids of Kalimpong or Kurinji malar of UdagaMandalam we are wondering at the great biodiversity of this land. Whether it is Tirumala temple or Golden temple or St. Francis at Goa we bow our head to the thier holy presence. Whether it is Surat diamond or Hyderabad pearl, ruby of Rajasthan or corals of Lakshadweep we adorn them with same penchant. Whether it is paanipuri of Rajasthan or Rasgolla of Bengal, Idli vada of Tamil Nadu or banana chips of Kerala, Paneer butter masala of Punjab or Dhokla Gujarat we relish with great taste

Be it Tagore, or Arundhati Roy, Vinod Dham or Sachin Tendulkar, Amartya Sen or Visvesvarayya, C.V. Raman or Sameer Bhatia, Vishwanathan Anand or Lakshmi Nivas Mittal, all were applauded who made India proud. We adore all great musicians like M.S.Subba Lakshmi, Balamurali, BhimSen Joshi, Ravi Shanker, Amjad Ali Khan, Bismillah Khan irrespective of their school of music.We never attempt to see which state they belong to, or which language they speak, which religion they belong to. They made us proud. The hetrogenous mix that makes our life colourful . The Indianness which we all enjoy.One great admission of divergent faculties. One thing which we can call ours.One great liking we all share.One Indian application, the great familiarity, the great cosy feeling, the unique oneness, the chemistry, the great comfort in dealing, that keep us binding.

The photo of Christ which was presented to my mother by her Ceylone Christian friend always hung to our wall, and I grew up with it's everlasting presence. The copy of Koran always laid in father's trunk who had a jeal to study all the religious books in depth. My child hood trips to Christian Prayer Halls with my Christian friend were filled with thrills and wonder for the array of candles lightened up , the whole of town conglomerated to "Urs" celebrations by muslims of the town to watch their walk on the fire. I felt bad and devasted for loosing my friend Muneer who departed on account of a transfer. No body ever felt threatened. We never felt triumphed. We never prayed their Gods, but never condemned them. We just took them as natural parts of our existence. We never practised Pseudo secularism with persisting consciousness about the other man's religion. No body ever tried to talk about their seperate identity , they were just absorbed in the system.

Now we are too concerned about our caste, creed. We are grouping , regrouping and excessively polarised. There is great divide between the states. We are caught up with raging regionalism, fanatism. The entire social fabric is perforated, mutilated and stained with blood. The differences are fanned, fuelled and encouraged by the self seeking politics. There is great amount of alienation, hatred, intolerence. What happened to that great democratic setup of India? What is happening to us? Any patriotic soul is stiffled with pain with the developments . The heart of this great mother land is parched, burrowed, quarried, and sharpenelled to the point of explosion.

I gather the mud, sand, pebbles, rubbles in my both the hands and ask my self "Who can save this land?" Certainly not us ,who ungreatfully thought at one time that taking birth in India was a curse. Not even these old sharks who are in perennial hunt for their pound of flesh.. Slowly I am able to figure out the saviour faces. The hazy pictures are taking into shape. The innumerable numbers, the crazy lot, the electrified sea of humanity, who are jumping, screaming, excited. It is the youth of India!! Surveys show that 93% of them are proud to be born in India, their young fresh minds still believe that there is no other country like India. The gen Y who can dare to dream big and show to the world that it is force to be reconed with. A faithful league which is proud to be labelled as Indians!!

Chidiya Ghar

Leaking taps, burnt chokes, failing ballbearings, lost switches, unending spending followed by inability to get reimbursement from the land lord, Oh no more, I have to buy a house. Any idea conceived, is often rushed with haste, is probably my weakness. The regularly ignored real estate columns were scrutinized with a magnifying glass, any half constucted building generally perceived as a nuisance is watched with admiration, that is how I began my great exploration of a house. It took me no time to come to the ground reality that I cannot afford an independent house in the close vicinity, leaving the other option to go for a flat. It is also not such a bad idea. With least maintainance nuisance and supposedly more secured place than a remote house in the suburbs with drainages, municipal water long pending.

It was very evident that I have to pay some commission to broker if I want to go through him, which is quite a few chips, I had a brilliant idea of searching it on my own. I was very choosy and and started enquiring only in prime localities and where flats are already in shape giving me an idea of how they look like when they are completed . I thought I would be welcomed with great enthusiasm, but to my utter dismay they refused even to divulge the name of the builder and with quite stern faces told me that they were all sold. I began to undestand that the flats in prime localities in finishing stages would have been already sold out and no use of trying them. With disappontment creeping into my heart I started looking side ways, and was lucky enough to find few flats even in bylanes , built with equal good taste, and found that they were also sold out . Then came the realisation that any flat even in bylane in the finishing stages will not be available if I am not first in the que. I was suggested by my friend that we have to look for a flat when it is in the foundation stage. So whenever I found persons digging a hole on earth I started enquiring them, some said it was for commercial pupose, some coolies engaged were not aware for whom they were working, some said some supervisor will come at a particular time and all the details can be taken from him, at least there is hope of getting some thing. But my spirits were getting dampened as I always found some "nala" besides it, or some tinkering shop opposite to it , or at least government primary school behind it, in addition to the long wait, and unpredictability about their shape and look. Many builders will not provide you with their building plan and specification list, as it is not viable for them to print them for the sake of few flats, an easy way to escape from the commitment , which can be deviated at a later date. At last I was lucy to figure out one flat for sale which was actually booked by one and is being sold by him for his own reasons. I went to see it with lot of hope . It had two bed rooms neither sqaure nor rectangular in shape , a litteral attempt to make space out of nothing, and two windows facing the corridor which we can not afford to open in our life time , with too many curious onlookers passing through. The price was exhorbitantly 65 lakhs. Another flat was offered but rejected because it's being located just beside a place of worship which will ensure twenty four seven noisy prayers. It was really a difficult decission for me . Finally I said no. My husband said "It seems it is very difficult to get like this. Let us go through a broker" The huge sum which is to be paid to him looked like a pittance now.

My broker made his presence with thick gold chain and a bracelet, riding a motor cycle asking "What is your budget?". He took us to a flat, which very close to my dreams, and where I was already been rejected once. I said "They said no flats for sale" He laughed showing all his bright teeth "They dont show you madam" "Why?" My husband pinched my hand, it is a signal to keep my mouth shut. I thought it is the first door.Oh.. what is more beautiful than that?.. No, he did not take us there, at least the next one?.. no..no.. you have to pass through it too,.. may be it is the last one?.. Sorry, not exactly that, uum.. take a right turn, you will find a door in the most unsuspecting corner. Some thing in me is toppling with disappontment. He opened the door. With all the PVC pipes , strewn all around the floor, "This is the drawing, cum dining, two bedrooms with one balcony, kitchen. Look at the floor. How nice!" . Really floor looked so smooth that any senior citizen can break his back effortlesly, bed rooms big enough to accommodate one double cot. "Where is the balcony?" I asked him exitingly. Even if the bedroom is small I can sit in the balcony and muse. "There it is" he showed, I almost fainted. "Is it the balcony?'" "Yes . What is wrong with it?"he asked. "What am I supposed to do with this balcony? Exactly opposite to my balcony my neighbour's living room is positioned, either I have to keep watching their T.V. to keep my power bill low, or have a free peep into their bedroom and take a data of their daily routine.Where are my birds,blue sky, etc..etc...". He looked assuringly "You want sky madam ? Just look there . Just rise you neck" Sky was not deprived to me. But I have to prop my neck upwards until I get spondylitis to get a gimpse of it amidst long parallel cement walls, shining like a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel. " Madam one thing I have to tell you. There is no place to dry cloths, a kitchen is an end in itself" he told me with honest tone. "Any way how much would it cost us ?" my husband asked. " Just 75 lacks. I can bring him down him for a lack or two" Both of us looked at each other, a thing which we rarely do, after all it is a joint venture. I could not hep but asking him "Sir, why are you showing such flats to us?" "What to do madam? All flats will be sold while under constuction, this too has got a long line of propective buyers. Take a quick decission." I have to shell down 75 lakhs!! that too compromisingly. "No" I said firmly. I know this will not be available even under constuction, some body will book it paying a meagre amount, wait till rate goes up, later keep it for sale after 6 months or so for double the price. What an easy way of earning?. As more and more we are inclined to do smart work than hard work, they are also getting smarter and inventing thousand ways of snipping more from you . There is no dearth of smart people on the planet. "It is too expensive . Show another one" my husband told him. "Tomorrow" he promised.

That tomorrow he came. He took me to a building in semi finished condition. We spiralled, exactly I do not remember, he lead us into a den admitting very small light, "Why so dark?" " Because there is plastic around and after a white wash it will look bright." May be. We entered into bed room which was pitch dark "Where are the windows?" "Can't you see ma'm up there" he showed some ventilators. "Do you call them windows?"I asked "Now a days people always use lights know, ma'm" "How about air?" "Every body is installing A.C. you know, madam" "If there is no power?" "Generator is there you know, ma'm" "If diesel is not available in the market?" He gave me broad smile, I could make it out only when his teeth flashed in that darkness. "We can not get a better house ma'm for a cheap price." "How much?" "Fifty lacks". Fiftylacks. So cheap ! One has to break his back all along his life to earn 50 lakhs. But now it is not worth buying roof on your head! A feeling that I have to choke, languish and perish in that pitch dark dungeon all my life made me very sick. I longed to get out the place sooner. "What do you say ma'm, take it or leave it, another party is waiting with a cash bag" " To hell with his cash bag . I am leaving it." I told him. I came out and looked back.People are pushed, squeezed and crushed into to the small four walled infernos , called a flat, with no breathing space, no elbow room, no leg space, no open sky, nothing to call it human. The doves already found their way to it to make it home , but at least they can fly when they feel strangled. I am human. I refuse to be a device in this ruthless money swindling circuit. "Leave it for ever" I told myself. I walked away with peace.